Ocarina of Time Chapter 21

 

Chapter 21
Minuet of the Forest

 

Night of the previous day...

It had been a horrible day. Cold and miserable, Saria curled herself tightly in a ball within her cot, listening to the soft breathing of the other Kokiri in the crowded tent. She could still hear the muffled sounds of Gerudo outside as they spoke in their native tongue.

The Gerudo were camped on the southern edge of the Lost Woods that was bordered by the Faron River.

So close to home, Saria thought, a familiar ache gnawing at her chest.

She hadn't been this close to the Great Deku Tree's grove in seven years. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander amidst the forest beyond the camp. Touching the consciousness of another living creature in the woods, or even a spirit, should have been easy. Beyond the confusing tangle of thoughts that belonged to the occupants of the Gerudo camp, Saria felt nothing. She should have felt something.

She concentrated harder, searching for some sign of life, but there was just an endless silence. It was as if the woods were now completely devoid of life. Nothing stirred, and the great tall sentinels stood leafless, clutched within the depths of winter.

Saria opened her eyes, gathering her thoughts. Something was terribly wrong. Either that or the Gerudo had put something in her food to stop her using her telepathy.

No, she thought. That couldn't be right.

They had no way of knowing she could do that. Not unless she accidentally used her skill on them.

Cold, Saria huddled in her blankets and tried to get warm. Her body still ached from the beating she'd received several days earlier, the winter chill making the painful welts seem worse.

Shinju, the Gerudo placed in charge of the Kokiri slaves, had believed Saria was responsible for Forenz's recent escape. It wasn't the first time he'd tried to escape. On his last attempt, he'd received ten lashes. Thinking about the harsh crack of the whip as it struck bloodied flesh still made Saria feel ill.

Where are you Forenz? Saria thought. It was part of the reason she'd been trying to let her mind reach out to the creatures in the woods. She desperately wanted to know if he was alive. She hadn't wanted him to try and escape, knowing that it was a foolish thing to do. She'd warned him.

Do not dwell upon what you cannot change, child. Focus on what you can do. The Great Deku Tree's words seemed to echo in her mind from long ago. She felt the weight of that loss more now than she had in years.

That memory of his death made her think of that night seven years ago when she and the other Kokiri had been torn from their homes. Wood smoke. It had been their only warning. The woods surrounding the village had been set alight, with only a narrow corridor of the forest left untouched. Deku trees could withstand fire, but the thick smoke would have meant death if the Kokiri stayed. As Saria, Mido, Forenz and the other Elders evacuated the village, they realised too late what was happening.

Flushed out of their homes, the Kokiri hadn't made it far before a horde of bulblins had descended on them. The Gerudo had been there too, and Saria was certain that if they hadn't ordered the Blin to capture and not kill, the outcome would have been far worse. Still, the sight of a mangled corpse and the blood of her fellow Kokiri upon the Blin's spears was a sight she would never forget.

Saria didn't remember what happened after she heard the first screams. Something had struck her over the head. Next thing she knew, Mido was leaning anxiously over her, his back against the bars of a cramped cage. The Kokiri had been taken to a stone monolith in a land devoid of trees. A realm where rock and sand, glimmering golden in the evening sun, stretched as far as the eye could see. It was a harsh land, the inhabitants harsher, and Saria couldn't help but wonder how on earth the Gerudo could live in such an inhospitable place.

After that, the inside of the red stone walls of what the Gerudo referred to as the Fortress of Sands became the Kokiri's home. From time to time, Saria and the other Kokiri were sent with a detachment of the Gerudo army to tend to their horses, fires, and other needs the forest children could meet. The first year had been the worst. Almost every day a Kokiri would collapse from the heat or be brought to her with their feet blistered and burnt. Many were afflicted by sickness or were injured by their captors. Saria was supposed to be a healer, but here, her remedies were useless, and Saria could only watch helplessly as her friends suffered. She prayed to the Forest Spirits and the Mother Goddess, Farore, but the only answers she received were vague and unsettling dreams.

Sometimes, she thought of Link. She had waited for him, as she'd promised she would. When the birds bore her tidings of a tragedy in the north, she had known Link was dead. She still remembered the day she had first seen him, wrapped tightly in a white swaddle beneath the canopy of the Great Deku Tree, red-faced and angry, unable to understand why he'd been torn from his mother's embrace and forced into an unfamiliar wilderness. She would never forget that day.

"You're still awake."

Saria nearly jumped out of her skin in fright.

She clung to her blankets, squinting at a sudden intrusion of light, and saw a young Gerudo staring at her, holding a lantern.

"Sorry," the girl whispered. "I didn't mean to scare you... I came to see if you were okay."

Saria could see the concern in the girl's eyes as the lantern light illuminated them.

"I'm fine," Saria whispered back.

Physically, she was fine, despite the bruising Shinju had given her. It could have been a lot worse. The Gerudo weren't completely cruel. The bulblins and the larger moblins, on the other hand, were pig-like both in appearance and behaviour. They were brutish and had no qualms about hurting the forest children. Their masters, two ugly hags, permitted it. Even the Gerudo hated the witches, who they barely tolerated, along with the Blin.

Not all the Gerudo were bad. Some pitied the forest children and seemed uncomfortable having the Kokiri as slaves. Letitia was one such Gerudo. She'd taught Saria and the others the Gerudo language; sometimes she smuggled food into the Kokiri's tents, including a range of Gerudo sweets. The only thing Letitia could not retrieve were the Kokiri's fairies. They were kept elsewhere in the camp. The Gerudo knew the Kokiri could not be separated from them for long, particularly over vast distances. The witches were aware of this too, sometimes using it to their advantage by deliberately separating a Kokiri from their fairy as a means of discipline.

"I'm sorry about your friend," Letitia whispered.

A stab of panic sliced through Saria's heart, and her throat tightened.

With so many of the Kokiri gone, she didn't think she could bear the thought of losing someone else.

"He wasn't caught," Letitia added hastily. "He made it out and into the woods as far as I know. There have been search parties, but with the Mithirans on the other side of the river, there aren't many people looking for him."

"What about his fairy?" Saria asked, desperate for something. "Did you find him?"

Letitia glanced over at the sleeping forms of the other Kokiri before turning back to Saria.

"I'm sorry, Saria, one of the witches got to him," Letitia said, whispering so no one else could hear.

No! Saria almost cried the word aloud. She didn't want to believe it. If the witches had taken the poor fairy, there was little chance he'd survive.

Oh, Forenz, she blinked away tears.

"I'm sure you did what you could," she whispered hoarsely.

If Arden was dead, there was no telling how long Forenz would have left. He was out there somewhere, cold, alone and dying. He could even be dead already.

She refused to let that thought take hold.

"I'm sorry, Saria," Letitia whispered, "I really am."

"Don't be," Saria whispered.

Letitia nodded, biting her lip. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Without another word she left, leaving before she could see the angry tears forming in Saria's eyes. She knew that with Arden dead, Forenz would also die. Saria curled up tighter, scrunching the sheets up to her mouth so the other Kokiri wouldn't hear her muffled sobs.

Sleep came, eventually, but it brought Saria little comfort.

~ 0 ~

The Lost Woods were cloaked in the darkness of night, filled with an unnatural silence that sent the hairs on Saria's neck on end. The trees were corpses, leafless branches twisting into the sky. She wandered beneath the lifeless boughs, arriving at the stone archway that marked the Forest Temple's entrance, the ancient facade bedecked in moss, fingers of ivy twisting their way through cracks in the lichen smeared stone.

"Saria..."

Her skin broke out in goosebumps as she heard that soft whisper.

"Come Saria.."

She looked around into the gloom. The whisper seemed to come from everywhere, with no sign of its owner. Her feet seemed to guide themselves as she climbed the stairs towards the entrance of the temple, feeling the cold stone beneath her bare feet. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure moving towards her, twice her height, red eyes burning with hatred. A shroud of black smoke obscured its form, covering it like a cloak. 

"Who are you?" Saria demanded, voice pitching in near panic. 

Without answering, the imposing figure stretched forward a gloved hand, reaching for her. A black gauntlet emerged from the smoke, reaching for her. With a gasp, Saria stepped back, falling from the stairs and plunging to the earth. She expected to strike the stairs below, but she didn’t. 

Instead, it was as if the earth had opened up, devouring her, the burning eyes watching her all the while. 

Saria fell into the rapidly forming chasm, her terrified scream soon exhausted. Her tunic whipped about her as she tumbled, the cold air lashing against her skin. 

Down. 

Down. 

Down. 

Saria awoke with a start.

The first thing she noticed was a hand on her shoulder. She almost screamed before a second hand went over her mouth.

"Shhh. It's me," Letitia whispered. Saria caught the urgency in her voice and instantly knew something was wrong. Her fears were affirmed when Letitia added, "You have to get out of here. I can help you escape."

Escape?

"Why?" Saria asked. After what had befallen Forenz, the idea made her feel cold with dread.

"The witches mean to have you executed tomorrow. They think you helped Forenz."

Her heart, already racing from the troubling dream, seemed to beat faster.

Up until she'd been taken from her home, and some of the Blin had decided not to follow the Gerudo's orders, death had been uncommon amongst the Kokiri. Accidents happened, but these were very rare. Saria had never heard of executions either, not until she'd seen the Gerudo behead several Hylians.

She didn't want to die, but she couldn't leave the other Kokiri either. What if the witches went after them next? The Kokiri were too scattered about the camp to rescue them all, and only a third of the captured Kokiri were in this camp. The rest were either in the Gerudo Desert or had vanished.

"What's going on?" Mido's sleepy voice caught her attention as he strode into the lantern light, squinting through sleep-crusted eyelids. He addressed Saria in Kokiri, even though he knew Gerudo well enough after seven years. It was a sure sign that he didn't trust Letitia.

Letitia ignored him, her eyes fixed on Saria. "You said you can get the forest spirits to help your friends. Can you?"

"Only if I get to the Forest Temple," Saria stammered. "But... why are you helping me?"

"You're my friend, Saria. Something is wrong here. Can't you feel it? Ever since those witches started giving orders, nearly everyone has been acting strangely. A war in a ravaged country was not what our king promised us. My mother died when she was ordered to raid a ranch. I'm sure my aunt's disappearance wasn't an accident either," Letitia explained. "Your people may be slaves now, but eventually, Ganondorf will kill them. You have to get the forest spirits to help your friends."

"If you're going, then I'm coming too," Mido whispered, trying not to wake the others and dispensing with his native language.

"What about our fairies?" Saria asked, resolving to ignore Mido for the moment. "And the other Kokiri? What will the witches do to them?"

"I'll help you retrieve your fairies, and I'll keep your friends safe, I promise," Letitia replied.

Saria looked at her sadly. "You're not the first to tell me that."

Letitia sighed. "If I try to get more than just you out, we'll be caught."

"Saria will need my help," Mido implored. "Take me with you."

Letitia regarded the freckled boy with annoyance. "If you get us caught-"

"I won't," Mido said, sounding confident. Saria almost smiled; the boy had taken it upon himself to help his fellow Kokiri since their capture in whatever way he could.

"Alright, fine," Letitia said, irritation plain in her voice. She looked around to make sure nobody had overheard the conversation. The rest of the tent's occupants were still sound asleep, so Letitia motioned Saria to the entrance of the tent.

"Just one last thing," she said. "If you see any other Kokiri, don't make them think you're up to something."

"You mean I just have to walk past everyone knowing I'm escaping and leaving them behind?" Saria asked. That just felt wrong. Everything felt wrong.

When did it ever feel right in the last seven years?

"It's the only chance I can give you," Letitia said. "Come on."

She hastened to the tent flap, pulled it back, and gestured for Saria to follow.

Her breathing quickening, Saria followed her but then froze on the threshold of the tent. She looked back at the sleeping forms of the others, a pang of terrible guilt gnawing at her.

"I'll come back for you," she whispered. Or get help.

"Come on," Letitia nudged her away from the tent, likewise ushering Mido along. Unable to look at the other Kokiri any longer, and sore with guilt that she was leaving them, Saria followed her into the night.

You're not leaving them, Saria told herself as they hurried past the other tents. You're getting help. Brynn and Fado can look after the others.

Letitia led them between the dark silhouettes of tents. The occasional guard stepping around the corner of a tent nearly sent Saria's heart into her throat, and she tried her best to look calm. So long as she looked like she was running an errand, nobody would pay any notice of her. Mido, to her relief, seemed to realize this as well.

When she saw the richly embroidered sigils upon the officer's tents, Saria knew they were near the centre of the camp. Beyond the sparring grounds, and the targets where archers sometimes practised, they came to the corner of a dimly lit tent. Saria had to stop herself from trembling at the sight of two guards at its entrance. The guards would be suspicious if she tried to enter it. It wouldn't be the first time a Kokiri had tried to free their own companion.

At precisely that moment, Mido forgot his caution.

"That's where they're keeping the fairies," Mido exclaimed. Saria clasped a hand to his mouth. At least he had the sense to speak in his native tongue to make sure the guards wouldn't know what he was saying.

Mido freed himself from Saria's grip, for she was too weary to hold him tightly, and stepped towards the tent. Before he could get more than three steps, Letitia yanked him by the scruff of the neck and hurled him out of sight.

"No, I want to get Mori!" Mido cried, suddenly furious. This time, it was Letitia who covered his mouth.

"What do you think you're doing?" she hissed. "Stay still, you stupid child, and be quiet!"

Mido opened his mouth to retort, but Letitia glowered at him, raising a finger to her lips.

"Stay here, both of you!" Letitia pulled a small brown bag from a pocket. "I won't be able to let them join you until we're out of the camp." She looked at Saria next. "I know your fairy's name but not yours-" she gestured at Mido.

"Mori," the boy replied.

Letitia vanished around the corner. Saria and Mido stood in silence while they waited for her to return. Fear gnawed at Saria then. What if Letitia couldn't get to Fora and Mori? Or she was found out? Or met the witches?

"Do... do you think she's coming back?" Mido asked, his voice thick with fear. "What if she doesn't?"

"Be quiet," Saria hissed, glancing around the corner at the guards. They appeared not to have noticed anything amiss.

Retreating back around the corner, Mido obeyed. Saria was grateful that he did because at that moment, a guard on horseback came trotting out of the shadows. Mido offered a short bow, Saria a curtsy, but the rider dismissed them after a glance and soon disappeared between the tents. Mido and Saria released a breath they didn't know they were holding.

"I'm starting to think this is a bad idea," Mido whispered. "What if they come after us on one of those things?"

"Shh!" Saria hissed.

Just then Letitia came back around the corner; the bag in her pocket was bulging now.

"Sorry, they will have to stay cramped like that for a minute," Letitia said as she reached them.

Saria desperately wanted to grab the bag and free Fora now, but releasing the fairy inside of the camp would be a beacon to anyone who saw their bright glow. For the first time in a long while, Saria could touch Fora's mind, and her heart soared with the sensation.

Saria, are you alright... ouch, Mori, get off me!

Fora, it's good to hear your voice again, Saria thought, reaching out to her companion. I'm sorry, but you're going to have to stay there until we get out of here. Tell Mori to stop struggling.

Mori was no doubt sensing Mido's fear. Saria frowned and glanced at the boy.

Can you at least tell me what's going on? Fora asked. That woman who grabbed us didn't exactly elaborate on what she was doing!

No time to explain, Saria replied.

Whatever you're doing, hurry up! came the fairy's indignant response.

Fora, keep quiet and stop distracting me. We're going to try to escape, Saria thought.

What? Woah, I'm not sure this is a good idea! Saria could feel the fairy's worry as though it was her own.

Just keep quiet, Saria responded. Fora's presence slowly slipped from her mind, and Saria instantly wanted to grasp hold of it again.

Mido was smiling as well. Saria never thought she would have seen him overjoyed at having Mori's voice in his head. He was always complaining about how annoying she was.

Letitia didn't give them long to rejoice in their reunion. She beckoned them away from the tent and they strode towards the edge of the camp. Mido and Saria both kept their heads down, and though she felt the guard's eyes on her, nobody cried out a warning. It all seemed too easy.

When they reached the edge of the camp, Letitia made them wait behind a tent until she was sure they weren't in danger of being caught by one of the sentries. When they were sure the coast was clear, and the nearest sentry was no longer looking in their direction, Letitia led them away. They started slowly at first, treading lightly so as not to alert the guard. Then, as they reached the trees, they quickened their stride. Saria listened for a cry of alarm or the thunder of hoofbeats that would signal pursuit. None came.

We did it, she thought. After being in the desert for nearly seven years, Saria was overwhelmed with joy. She wanted to laugh and cry all at once. Then a voice in her mind warned her to be cautious. With that, her trepidation grew... until-

"Going somewhere?" the voice of an old woman croaked.

No, please, not one of those crones, Saria thought desperately. Before she even turned, she knew with an icy certainty who it was. The joy she felt was snatched away, replaced with a sudden terror.

"Letitia, you disappoint me," a white-haired witch with bulging eyes stepped out from behind a nearby oak. She held a broom in one hand and made a loud tsk tsk as she strode towards them. Letitia quickly placed herself between Saria and the pale sorceress.

"Kotake!" she spat.

"I knew you were up to something. It seems my sister has gotten slack in her old age. She can't brainwash people as well as she could once. I guess that means I have only one choice, especially now I've told you that."

Letitia knew what was coming. She thrust one hand into her pocket, retrieving the pouch with the faeries, and drew her scimitar with her other hand. She threw the bag to Saria, who caught it on the edge of her fingers. Fumbling, she only just caught the small sack.

"Run!" Letitia screamed. "Don't look back!"

She brought down her scimitar towards the witch's face.

Seeing that Mido had gone rigid with terror, Saria tugged on his arm. He found the will to move, and they both broke into a run.

Behind them, there was a loud crack and a flash of blue light as Letitia was turned to ice.

"No!" Saria cried out, halting in her tracks and daring a look back. Hot tears ran down her face as she realized that Letitia was nowhere to be seen.

Mido tugged at her sleeve. "Saria, come on! There's nothing you can do."

Saria, what's going on? We're being squashed in here! Fora's voice yelled in her head. Saria loosened her grip on the bag but didn't reply.

As the witch's cold eyes met her own, Saria forced herself to run. She didn't get far before a loud hiss erupted through the night. She dared a glance back to see a Deku Baba raise its ugly clam-like mouth inches from the witch. The crone screamed as the ravenous flesh-eating plant snapped its jaw onto her broom. With a loud snap, the broom was chomped in two. Then the air chilled, and another crack announced the end of the Deku Baba.

Saria kept running, Mido trailing just behind, and then she leapt behind a tree.

Please, Farore. Somebody. Let this work.

She pulled an ocarina out of the pocket of her white tunic. The Gerudo had no idea it was magical and had dismissed it as nothing more than an object of sentimental value. Saria played the song she had played many times before. She had been knocked out before she could play it the night the village was raided, and she knew if it didn't work this time, both she and Mido would meet the same fate as Letitia.

The witch was getting closer.

"A pity that plant ruined my broom..." the hag paused as the sweet and lively melody swelled, echoing off the trees. "Oh, what a lovely song. Seems a shame I must-"

The young Deku Tree behind Saria groaned. She'd guessed it was a deku tree because Deku Babas always grew close to their trunk. This particular tree possessed few leaves, but it was thankfully still alive.

"What's that noise?" the witch demanded of the forest. Then she appeared to realize what was happening, for an edge of worry crept into her voice. "Koume, I could use that fire of yours about now."

The witch screeched as the branches swayed and the entire tree groaned as it bent over double, almost tearing its roots from the earth. The witch ran, the branches clawing and swatting at her. Not waiting to see what became of the witch, Saria and Mido ran. They ran far into the woods until neither of them could run anymore.

Her strength gave out, and Saria collapsed against a tree. Mido followed suit, and neither of them spoke for some time. The fairies sensed their companion's distress, sharing it, and did not speak or ask to be let out of the bag for some time.

"Do... do you think they are following us?" Mido asked.

"I don't know," Saria replied.

Hey, can you let us out of here! Fora screeched indignantly into her mind.

Mido beat Saria to fumbling with the cord on the bag. For the first time in a long while, Saria smiled. They had escaped. She slumped against the tree trunk, taking in the familiar embrace of its rough bark.

Saria was dreaming of the Forest Temple again, walking through the woods shrouded in mist. The entire woods around her seemed lifeless. Only this time as she approached the archway she paused, a feeling of utter dread creeping into her heart.

She tilted her head to the left. A figure was standing amidst the trees close by. Saria looked back at the archway before walking towards the mysterious figure. They were tall, with olive skin and a sand-coloured robe, a red veil hiding their face. It was Letitia. As Saria stepped towards her, a horse as it burst from amidst the tall trees, riding hard towards the Gerudo. It was blacker than the darkest night in the forest. If the horse intimidated her, it was nothing compared to the rider. Dressed in black obsidian armour, a skull-shaped mask on his face with horns protruding from its forehead, he was a terrifying sight. Saria saw the lance it was carrying, but before she could scream a warning, the lance struck, and with a casual flick, the rider threw Letitia’s body to the side. The rider turned to Saria then, bearing the lance down on the small Kokiri, red eyes filled with malice. Saria screamed, and the lance plunged into her.

"Saria, wake up!" Saria was torn from the dream back into reality. She knew a moment of disorientation as Mido shook her and placed a hand on her mouth.

"Shh." Saria stiffened as she heard the terror in his voice. "Can you hear that?"

Then her ears caught the sound of frenzied barking. Her heart sank faster than a stone tossed into a pond.

Dogs! she thought. It was too late to think about escaping. That frenzied tone meant that the animals had already picked up the scent of their trail.

"Mido, up the tree!" she hissed, leaping up. The two fairies quickly flew into a pocket of their charges' tunics.

Mido obeyed without question and they clambered up into the boughs of the old oak. Finding handholds in the dark was no easy task. Twice in her desperate ascent, she almost slipped. Saria had only just clambered onto the lower branch when one of the dogs snarled angrily as it reached the tree. She looked down in terror as the black dog leapt at the branch, nipping at her heels. She didn't move, too afraid that she might fall. She was certain that falling would be the last thing she ever did. They were treed.

She clung to the oak for dear life. Above her, Mido was doing the same. All Saria could do was weep from fear and the unfairness of it all. They had been so close to escaping. Below her, one of the dogs was clawing deep gouges into the tree trunk as it continued its determined efforts to reach her. The other circled the tree, snarling.

"Saria, can't you ward them off?" Mido shouted.

"I told you, Mido, it doesn't work like that!" Saria yelled.

Her gift as a Kokiri Shaman didn't allow her to control animals; it only allowed her to soothe them or suggest a particular action. She couldn't force them to obey. She couldn't use her telepathy to reach out to the forest spirits either; she was too exhausted and didn't know if she could find them. Likely, they'd fled the woods. She didn't even know if Shaggy and his wolf pack were still alive.

Another dog reached the tree, but it yelped suddenly and went silent. Then the first dog stopped barking, and Saria heard a distinct but familiar laugh... laughter, how odd that sounded to her now.

The cackling belonged to a skull kid.

"Hey, Saria! Looks like we're even now," the child-like voice cackled from the branches above. Saria recognized that voice.

"Vaspin?" she gasped.

"Ah, you remember me!" he exclaimed, a broad grin plastered across his face. It was the kind of smile she'd expect from a madman. 

"Hard to forget a mischief-maker like you," Saria said, managing a weak smile.

"Mischief-maker?" Vaspin asked, taking a step back in mock horror, feet still firmly balanced on the narrow branch. He clasped a hand to his chest, still holding the dart tube, and shook his head emphatically, "I ain't no ruffian, miss. We've been protecting the woods. We heard your song, you see, along with the dogs, so we came to see what was happening." 

"I'm glad you came," Saria said, glancing down and unsure if she trusted her balance enough to get down. 

Vaspin noticed. "I'll help you down, miss."

Saria accepted his help, and she clambered down the tree, looking down at the dogs lying on the dried grass. They had been shot with a dart but the rise and fall of their chests told Saria they were still very much alive. 

"Those dogs won't have come alone," she said to no one in particular. She still felt unsteady, even now that her feet were upon firm ground.

"The guards won't be bothering us no more," Vaspin said, sounding rather proud of himself. "They'll sleep till morn' after being hit by those darts."

Saria looked back up to see another skull kid helping Mido down while Mori hovered above the pair. A shower of twigs descended from the tree, followed by a yelp and a thud as one skull kid half fell, half slid the rest of the way down the tree. As Saria raced to help him, Vaspin chuckled, and she threw a stern look in his direction. The boy who fell scrambled up before Saria reached him, dusted off and brushed aside her aid.

Another skull kid went to dispose of the dogs, and Saria nearly found her stomach heaving. The idea of killing something in its sleep revolted her, even if it had been trying to eat her.

"Where did you go?" Vaspin asked, brushing off the bits of stick stuck to his clothing. "We came to find you, the night those crones attacked the forest, but you were all gone, and the village was all in ruins."

"We were forced to leave," Saria explained, opting to try and keep things as simple as possible. "We were driven far from here, very far away, and most of the Kokiri haven't found their way back yet..." she hesitated a moment, aware that they needed to flee before anyone came looking for the missing guards. "Vaspin," Saria began, pausing to consider her words. "I need to get to the Forest Temple. Can you take me there?"

Vaspin shook his head. "I wouldn't recommend it, Saria. It's not safe."

"I still have to get there," Saria pressed him. "It's the only way to make the woods safe again."

"You don't understand, Saria," Vaspin said, sounding frightened for the first time. "Whatever is cursing the woods, it's coming from that temple, I'm sure of it, and there's this evil man guarding it."

"An evil man?" Saria asked, frowning. "What do you mean?"

"He's a mage, a powerful one. You don't want to mess with mages. I've seen what dark magic can do." He looked at Mido, who did not meet his gaze. 

That was a long time ago, Saria thought, not wanting to reopen old wounds. It had been upon a brazen dare that some of these Skull Kid's had become what they were. Few had forgotten the day that Mido had returned to the village, terrified, and claiming that his hunting party, Vaspin included, had tried to steal an object from a Sheikah wandering in the woods. He'd been caught, his friends escaping with the stolen item. Vaspin and his companions hadn't gone far before the object cursed them, leaving them in the forms they now bore. Mido had only escaped his would-be captor because the Great Deku Tree had sent a pack of wolves to rescue him, driving the intruder out of the woods.

Ever since that day, Mido had distrusted anything that came from beyond the forest, even a tiny squalling babe in Saria's arms.

Best not to bring that up, Saria decided, focusing on Vaspin.

"Please, Vaspin, you have to help us," Saria begged. "I have to get there. I have to find if there's some way to break the curse on the woods."

Vaspin looked at her doubtfully. She was afraid that he would refuse to help them, afraid that she and Mido would find themselves alone again.

Fora intervened for her, flying in front of Vaspin's face and poking a finger at his chest. "This is your home too!"

"And?" Vaspin asked irritably. He went to swat the fairy, but Saria grabbed his arm.

"Sorry," Vaspin said, sounding bored.

"Keep going, Fora," Saria encouraged her fairy while releasing Vaspin with a warning glare.

"If Saria doesn't go there, those people-" Fora pointed in the direction of the Gerudo camp- "will eventually burn the Lost Woods to the ground like they did the Kokiri's home! Then there will be no Lost Woods, and you won't have a home either!"

"They've ignored us so far," Vaspin pointed out dismissively.

"They won't! You can't ignore what is happening to the world around you. Is that what you want? To ignore what's going on until everything comes crashing down around you? What will you do then?"

"She's right, you know," said Mori, before Vaspin could respond. "I once thought the forest wards would keep us safe. That no magic existed in Hyrule that could break them. As you have seen for yourself, that was wrong. We have to help each other."

Several of Vaspin's friends stepped forward, huddling into a group with him at the centre as they whispered frantically.

Mido craned his neck forward, no doubt to catch some of their conversation. He looked about ready to jump into the middle of them before Saria shook her head. The skull kids kept chatting in a vehement exchange. Finally, Vaspin's bright amber eyes turned back to Saria, and his friends scattered.

"Ok, we'll help you," he said. Saria breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank you.

"We'll guard the temple once you get inside and try to warn you if we see the Soulless One," Vaspin finished.

"The what?" Saria asked. She had never heard of anything with a name like that.

"The mage that guards the temple," Vaspin replied. "I daren't ask him if we can just walk in, I doubt he will be obliging, but there might be another way in."

"This man..." Saria asked. "What does he look like?"

Vaspin visibly shivered in distaste and swallowed. He described the man, and with chilling clarity, Saria recognized his description. It was the demon with the Skull Mask. The same being that haunted her dreams. She did her best to hide her fear, but even then she couldn't help thinking they ought to be running away from the Forest Temple. Instead, she was running towards it.

~ 0 ~

The chapel of the Goddesses in Ordon was one of the few buildings of its kind left in Hyrule. The worship of the Goddesses had been banned soon after Ganondorf conquered Hyrule, and most of the chapels were put to the torch. The old triangular shaped stone building saw few devotees enter its doors these days. All but one priestess, a healer, had fled when Ordon seemed certain to fall to the Gerudo king. Now instead of the long mantras of those who worshipped the Goddesses, the interior was filled with the moans and cries of those afflicted by wounds from Hyrule's long war. The healer was a Sheikah; she was tugging at a green shawl draped across her shoulders as she quietly examined a small form lying on a makeshift bed. Bandages now covered Forenz's entire torso; his eyes were shut and sunken. The healer's brow was creased with worry as she gently placed a hand on Forenz's forehead before grasping his wrist next. Link watched her, perched on a stool, waiting with growing trepidation.

Sheik sat on a stool beside him, deep in thought, as they waited for the healer's verdict. Forenz had only woken once when they brought him to the chapel, refusing to speak to anyone except Navi and repeating a name over and over again. Arden. Forenz' fairy. The boy had soon lapsed back into unconsciousness again, by which stage the healer had arrived. Rin, meanwhile, stood vigil beside the boy's sickbed. Deep in thought, she paid no attention to anyone around her.

"Forenz just keeps saying Arden," said Navi quietly from Link's shoulder. "Where is my Arden? Nothing else... I said we would find him but... Link, I'm not even sure if his fairy is alive."

Link looked away; it hurt too much. His friend was lying beside him, dying, his rattling breaths echoing in his head. Link wanted to help. He'd give own his life just to see his friends spared from this cruel fate. There was nothing he could do, chosen hero or not, and that hurt more than anything. He clenched his fists, fingernails digging into his palms. He wanted to scream, to demand the Sheikah do more to save Forenz. He wanted to scream at the Goddesses for abandoning them to this fate.

Why?

The Kokiri didn't deserve this. They hadn't done anything wrong.

"Can a Kokiri survive long without their fairy?" Sheik asked, grabbing Link's attention.

Navi stared silently at Forenz, looking pained at the boy's state.

"No," Navi said quietly. "Nor can a fairy survive long if..."

Link was sure she was about to say if something happened to their Kokiri, but Navi went stiff as she spoke.

Navi had survived the death of her charge. He took that like a lifeline. Maybe it wasn't too late for Forenz.

"You survived," he murmured.

Navi shuffled in discomfort. "Just," she said quietly. "If Saria hadn't taken me to Moriko as quickly as she did..."

As her voice trailed off into silence, Link looked down at her sadly. Moriko, the Great Fairy of the Forest, was even older than the Great Deku Tree himself. She'd disappeared seven years ago. At the time, nobody had thought twice about it; she frequently ventured off for short amounts of time to visit her distant kin.

Her disappearance, Link realized, was too close to when the Great Deku Tree was cursed to be a coincidence.

"You never mentioned what happened to her," Link said, trying to distract Navi from the memory of her previous charge's death.

"She said she was going somewhere in the woods and expected to be back in a few weeks," said Navi. "She never came back."

"Do you think Ganondorf did something to her?" Sheik asked.

"It looks like it," Navi said, looking back over at Forenz. "If something has happened to Arden, then only one of the Great Fairies can heal Forenz."

"Then let us hope his fairy is still alive," Sheik said heavily.

When the healer finished her examination of Forenz, her troubled expression did nothing to ease Link's worry. She stared for the longest time at the Kokiri lying on the floor beside her. Anger pulsed through Link as he stared at Forenz's pale form. Who could have brought the boy to this state? What kind of monsters were they that they would whip him till his back was bloodied and raw.

Finally, the healer turned to address the two Sheikah and Link. "I've done everything I can. It's a miracle the boy made it as far as he did in his condition, but-" she glanced back at Forenz, swallowing before adding. "It's like he has lost the will to live; he's dying."

Link closed his eyes, tilting his head to the floor.

"Then..." Navi said, her voice shaking as though she were about to cry. "That must mean Arden is dead."

"There has to be something we can do," Link said, clenching his fists and standing up so suddenly that Navi nearly fell off his shoulder. She took flight with no indignant remark and her eyes settled on him as he began pacing. "Forenz wouldn't be in this state if I hadn't let the Great Deku Tree die."

Navi looked horrified. Everyone else exchanged puzzled glances except Rin and Sheik.

"Link... we've been over this before. It wasn't your fault," Navi replied softly.

"Don't tell me that!" Link snapped back, causing everyone to stare. The healer glared at him reproachfully, clearly annoyed at his temper. Seeing this, Link let out a deep sigh, turned on his heels and went storming out of the chapel.

The sweet fragrance of incense inside the chapel had left him light-headed, but as the crisp winter air washed over him, Link felt no relief. His mind was a tempest of emotions and he wanted desperately to take it out on something. He stomped over to a stone bench, kicking it sharply before he fell to his knees, completely oblivious to the pain welling up in his toe. He wanted to scream. Why had the Goddesses let this happen? Why?

In a moment of rage, and deciding that he wanted nothing more to do with the stupid sword, he ripped the Master Sword from its sheath and threw it with all the strength he could muster. It hit the rocks by the stream with a clang. He almost walked over to it and kicked it too for good measure.

Forcing back a scream, he gripped his hair in frustration. The Goddesses had chosen wrong. He wanted to scream that to the heavens, not caring if people thought he'd succumbed to insanity. He didn't want this anymore. He just wanted to go home; to a place where Saria sat by his side, and Forenz wasn't fighting for his life. A place where the Kokiri were safe and Castletown was filled with the babble of merchants and townsfolk instead of the ceaseless moans of the ReDead. The Goddesses had chosen wrong; he was supposed to save Hyrule, not destroy it. He hadn't saved anyone. All he could recall were the bodies of the slain strewn about the streets of Hyrule's burning capital.

You failed Forenz. You failed all of them. That voice was in the back of his mind again, speaking with such clarity that it was as though someone was standing beside him, whispering in his ear. You were supposed to protect them. That's why the Great Deku Tree summoned you in the first place.

SHUT UP! Link almost screamed aloud, smacking his fist into the stone bench with such force that he felt bones crack. His hand hurt, but he didn't care. It didn't matter, not anymore.

He didn't cry; Link doubted he had any more tears left to do that. Everything had gone wrong since he pulled the Master Sword from the pedestal.

"Link?" Navi's soft voice beckoned to him.

Link ignored her, wanting nothing more than to be alone. He definitely didn't want her attempts to comfort him right now.

"Go away Navi," he said hoarsely. "Please, just go away."

"It's not too late," Navi's voice was soft and gentle, but Link could still hear the edge of fear in it. "We can still save Forenz."

"How?" Link roared, his throat aching from the strain. Even when Navi seemed stunned into silence, alarm written across her face, he continued without remorse. "How many times have I tried to save someone, and they've ended up dead anyway!"

"That's not true," she replied calmly.

"Yes, it is! Stop trying to tell me it isn't!"

The silence that fell between them held for so long it was like there was a wall between them. At last Navi spoke up, "You mean you're just going to give up and not even try?"

She sounded disappointed and angry. Hearing Navi speak to him with such disappointment would have troubled Link under ordinary circumstances. Now, he just didn't care.

Please, Navi, Link thought desperately. Just leave me alone.

She didn't. She circled his head instead, wings buzzing in agitation. Navi spotted the sword lying abandoned by the side of the stream. Her eyes flickered between it and Link. "You have given up, haven't you?"

Link did not respond. This time, her words stung, and he tried desperately to ignore them.

"Well," Navi said with an angry huff as she came to a halt in front of him. "That's selfish of you."

Her words were like a slap in the face. He heaved a sigh, trying to lower his voice, "I've tried, Navi. It's all gone wrong."

"Maybe it has, but you can't stop trying. Forenz is dying in there, Link, and you're sitting here moping. I thought he was your friend!"

"He is my friend!" Link spat. He did not notice Sheik or Rin exiting the chapel, staring in concern at the fairy arguing with her companion.

"Then help him!" Navi yelled. "Help him rather than wallow here in your own self-pity!"

"Self-pity? I just lost seven years of my life and woke up to find Hyrule, the Kokiri... everything I've ever known gone! You don't know how that feels!"

The moment Navi gaped at him, eyes blinking furiously, Link knew he had gone too far. Without a word, she turned and flew towards the chapel. Sheik said something, but Navi ignored her as she zipped past.

"Navi..." Link croaked, calming down a little as an icy sensation of shock crept into his stomach. "I didn't mean it... I'm sorry."

What have I done?

Navi halted halfway towards the door.

"I know, Link," she said quietly. "I know."

Her voice was filled with such hurt that it would have been kinder if she'd screamed.

As she disappeared into the chapel, Link considered following her. Then he hesitated, not sure he could bear to look upon Forenz' broken body again. Not after what Navi had just said. Sheik's eyes were trailing from the Master Sword to him.

"You're not the only one who is suffering, Link," she said quietly. "My entire family died the night Ganondorf sacked Castletown. We're all hurting. Everyone is suffering in this war. We can fix this. We can save Forenz, but you have to trust me."

"How?" Link rasped, still shaking from his argument with Navi.

"If Rauru's research is accurate, we may not need the aid of a Great Fairy. Someone who can harness the well of magic that flows from the Forest Temple effectively, enough to heal your friend, could help him. The Sage of the Forest is one such person. First, we have to destroy the curse that is tainting the temple," Sheik explained calmly. "I think I know what happened to Moriko. If my experience is any guess, once we break the curse on the temple, we may save her too."

"What do you mean?" Link asked.

"There is a portal stone in the Lost Woods. It links to other worlds like ours. I thought the Kokiri might have been able to figure out how to use it and flee... sadly, I was wrong. During my training as Rin's student, I visited one of those realms. I met a great fairy that had been cursed by a soul mask and lost her true form. I suspect Moriko's fate was similar. If so, she can help us once we break the curse," Sheik explained.

Link was having trouble getting his head around the idea that there were other places like the Sacred Realm. "Did you save her... the other great fairy?"

"Yes. If all else fails we can take Forenz to that realm and find the fairy, but that will take time, which is one thing Forenz does not have."

"I will take Forenz," Rin suggested, turning her gaze to Link. "I dare say that a change of scenery would do you good. Sheik has had you cooped up in that inn for far too long."

"Not without good reason," Sheik objected.

"Yes, of course," Rin amended gently. "I suggest you get ready. We may still have time to arrive and set up camp before nightfall."

Link felt her eyes on him. As he reached the doorway of the chapel, Sheik stopped him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I think you're forgetting something."

The Master Sword.

He stared at the blade as it lay beside the stream. He wished he'd never laid eyes on it. He hated everything it represented- him being the hero, the chosen of the Goddesses. The one who brought about Hyrule's fall. Besides, a sword was only as strong as the courage of the one who wielded it, and he felt as though his courage had failed him. It had failed him from the moment he'd tripped over the body of a little girl as her home burned around him. Sheik didn't look like she was going to let him leave it there, and he didn't feel like arguing with her. Not now.

I don't want it. I don't want any of this.

He walked over to it and picked it up anyway. If it meant stopping Ganondorf, he'd take it. He could still make things right. Running his fingers along the cold hilt, before sliding the blade back in its sheath, Link felt a flicker of determination rise in his chest. He could still make Ganondorf pay for what he'd done.

No.

He would make Ganondorf pay.

Link sighed as he stepped through the chapel's doorway and into the dimly lit room. Navi sat by Forenz's side. She looked up as Link approached, her eyes red-rimmed.

"Navi, I'm sorry about what I said," Link said evenly, crouching down beside her and the pale form of Forenz. "You're right. It was selfish of me."

Navi offered him a faint smile. "It's alright, Link. I forgive you. We'll make things right. I know we will."

Link nodded, brushing Navi's face with a finger as he gazed down at Forenz.

"We will," he whispered.

~ 0 ~

When Forenz's limp form had been saddled onto Rin's horse, Link mounted his horse and rode just in front of her, steering his horse in a straight line with far more success than he had several hours ago. After a short time, they left the deserted road and made their way into Faron Woods.

Link glanced down at the bow hanging on the side of the horse with the rest of his luggage, admiring the polished Deku wood. Sheik had given it to him and helped him train while he'd been recovering from the poisoned arrow. He wondered if he'd be able to hunt in the woods tonight, or if Sheik would want him to explore the Forest Temple. He'd never explored it before. Only the Elders ventured inside on rare occasions and they never spoke of it. He'd tried to sneak in once, but Saria had found him and reprimanded him. It was too easy for him to get lost inside, especially without a fairy to help guide him. The thought of Saria made the pain in his chest tighten and he glanced around for anything that might distract him. Navi's silence let him know she was still upset with him and he wasn't eager to talk with either Rin or Sheik. So instead, he tried to focus on his environs.

The sun hung at its zenith in a cloudless blue sky. Beneath it, the land begged for rain, but the heavens never answered. Glancing back at Forenz, Link watched the boy's labored breathing. He had been given fresh clothing: a white top with a green jerkin and black breeches. It made him look very odd, but at least he looked better and far more peaceful than he had before.

After an hour of riding, they came to a grove. There was no undergrowth, though there may have been flowers at one stage. Now there was nothing, and the bushes were just as bare as everything else in the forest. His attention was drawn to the stone dais at the grove's centre. The stone itself was weathered and cracked, stunted weeds growing through the steps leading up to it. There were engravings along the edges of the steps, worn and faded beyond recognition. One engraving was visible amongst the tangle of dead leaves and twigs, a large emblem of the Triforce. It looked just like the dais in the Temple of Time.

"Both this dais and the one in the Temple of Time are portals," Sheik said as she ascended the dais. "Do you remember anything about what happened when we left Castletown?"

Link shook his head, leading both his and Rin's horses onto the platform while Rin carried Forenz.

"It only works if I play a certain song?" he asked. That much he could remember. 

"That is correct," Sheik said. "The song I taught you-  the Minuet of the Forest- will take us to the Forest Temple."

"The Sacred Forest Meadow," Link murmured, recalling his promise to meet Saria. Just the mere mention of the name brought back so many memories, the echoes of a distant melody and Saria's laughter drifting through his mind.

How distant that world seemed now.

"Are you ready?" 

Distracted, Link glanced up at Sheik and swallowed. "Yeah." 

Sheik grabbed a harp from her saddle and plucked a few strings to make sure the instrument was in tune. She seemed to always insist on doing this. Appearing satisfied, she plucked a soft sweet melody.

"You know," Navi said, in a voice that said she was trying to break some of the tension in the air. "You never mentioned what would happen if that harp was out of tune."

Though he half imagined appearing somewhere they hadn't planned on ending up, Link didn't smile.

"It's not out of tune," Sheik's voice was frosty.

"Just wondering," Navi said innocently. She seemed to realize nobody was amused and sighed.

As the tranquil notes of the Minuet of the Forest drifted through the air, a soft blue hue enveloped the dais. The horses whinnied nervously but appeared to be more used to this method of travel than he was.

Then, a wall of flames erupted along the rim of the dais, strangely the leaves scattered across the stone were left untouched.

"How long does this take to work?" he asked, as Sheik stopped playing.

"A moment," Rin replied. "Ready yourselves. We don't know what's on the other side."

Link drew his sword. Sheik placed her harp back in its case, stowing it with the rest of her luggage, before retrieving her bow and notching an arrow to it. Forenz was lying in the centre of the dais, surrounded by both Link and the Sheikah. They hadn't left him on the horse. If the animal panicked when they arrived at the other side, he'd be in just as much danger on the animal as he was off of it.

"You may feel a slight discomfort," Rin warned him.

"What?" Link asked, not sure he understood. Sheik hadn't mentioned anything about that.

"A queasy stomach," Rin replied simply.

Without further warning, the world spun, and a wind howled past his ears. Link's stomach heaved in a moment of vertigo, and as the spinning subsided, he lost his entire lunch onto the stone dais.

Some discomfort? Rin's words seemed like an understatement.

As he looked up, and before he could take in the bare-branched canopy that peered over the walls of the Forest Temple, a familiar laugh rang in his ears. He looked up, eyeing a leafless tree branch that stretched high over the dais. A figure stood upon the bough, a dart tube in one hand.

A heartbeat later, the Skull Kid aimed his weapon at Link, sucked in a breath, and fired.

Next Chapter

Reviews

SunPraiser31 chapter 22 . Nov 26, 2016 That Saria perspective was really well done. It's good to know that most of the Kokiri are still alive, even if they're being held captive. It's also good to know that not all of the Gerudo are asshats. I wonder though, what happened to Nabooru in those seven years? Is she still alive? Logic would suggest not... Maybe Link and Saria will meet up by accident in the Forest Temple! You know, if the skull kids aren't complete assholes.

Shaveza chapter 22 . Jun 13, 2015 As terribly as everything is going for Link, it's also something I really like about this story, because it gives Link a half-million reasons to turn back time at the end of the game. I always felt Link didn't really have anything to gain from turning back the clock. But your story gives him reason to in spades. Sad as it all is, it's something I also like.